10 ways you can improve your mental health.
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Lets be honest. Taking care of our mental health generally gets the back burner when life gets busy. Sometimes it is not always possible to carve out time to journal, meditate, go for a quiet walk, or just sit in the bathroom alone without little ones yelling at you from the other side of the door. So here are 10 ways simple can work to improve your mental health even when life gets busy.
Tidy up your house and workspace.
Your home is an extension of your mind. A cluttered home equals a cluttered mind. A study conducted in 2020 found that a cluttered home led to poor cognitive functioning, poor behavior, and difficulty communicating clearly. A cluttered home can increase stress, anxiety, and depression. It’s hard to think clearly or relax and unwind if your house is messy.
Spend time in nature.
Spending time in nature is a great way to improve your mental health. It is one of the best sources for grounding. Nature can help reduce stress, anxiety, and improve depression. Nature also can help you to think more clearly and improve reasoning. Spending time in nature gets you away from the hustle and bustle of life and forces you to slow down for a bit. Pay attention to the peaceful nature sounds.
Hug a loved one.
Hugging, especially hugging a loved one, releases oxytocin. Oxytocin, also called the “love hormone,” promotes positive feelings when released. Research shows that oxytocin reduces anxiety and stress and improves overall psychological stability. Hugging a loved one can promote relaxation and peace. Don’t have someone to hug? You can also get an oxytocin boost through exercise or listening to music.
Meditate.
Meditation is a phenomenal tool to incorporate into your daily routine. It has so many positive benefits to your mental, physical, and emotional health. It can reduce anxiety and stress, create a sense of calmness and peace, and help manage chronic pain. There are several different types of meditation, so try them out and find what works best for you.
Eat 3 meals a day.
Food is fuel for your brain and body. They do not function properly when they do not receive adequate fuel. Not eating makes your brain short circuit. It struggles to make decisions, solve problems, and regulate emotions. You feel physically and mentally foggy and fatigued. It can also increase anxiety and depression symptoms.
Exercise.
Exercising releases all the brain chemicals that make you feel good like serotonin and endorphins. And as I mentioned earlier, it releases oxytocin as well. These chemicals can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Exercising reduces stress levels and clears your brain. You don’t even need vigorous exercise. A simple daily walk can improve your mental health.
Practice gratitude.
What we focus on throughout our day has a direct impact on our mood and outlook on life. If you are constantly looking at how everything is wrong, then you’re not going to feel great. You will likely be depressed, anxious, and constantly worrying. Practicing gratitude shifts your focus to the positives in each moment. Make a gratitude list and add to it daily.
Get 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
Lack of sleep could be the culprit to your brain fog, anxiety, depression, and anger outbursts. Your brain cannot function at full capacity when you do not get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can impair your ability to deal with everyday stressors. Proper sleep hygiene improves cognitive functioning, attention, and memory.
Learn something new.
Challenging yourself by learning something new helps to keep your brain active and neural pathways functioning. It can improve self-confidence and mental flexibility. It can also help you adjust more easily to changing circumstances in your environment. Regularly learning something new can also provide socialization and reduce feelings of isolation.
Cut down on screen time.
This is probably not the first time you have heard that screen time is wreaking havoc on your mental health. It’s a huge problem that we all struggle with. Studies have found that screen time increases our cortisol levels, putting us in fight or flight mode several times each day. Sensory overload is almost a guarantee wherever there is a screen. It can negatively impact sleep, and it really jacks up the brains reward system.
Improve your mental health.
There you have it. 10 steps you can take to start improving your mental health today! Choose one and practice it for a week. Then add another one at the start of week two and so on. At the end of 10 weeks, you will have 10 healthy habits integrated into your daily routine.